Buying Tickets to the Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is widely recognized as the most lucrative and prestigious motorsports event held in the United States. For over a century, since 1911 to be precise, the greatest open wheel drivers have paced the 2.5-mile facility. The race annually held on Memorial Day weekend is a hot ticket for motorsports enthusiasts.

When planning to purchase tickets, the Indianapolis Motors Speedway provides a seating chart that allows you to view the locations of the grandstands. This is a helpful guide for ones who have never visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It also provides the locations of the RV parks and campgrounds if you plan to camp at the facility.

Premier tickets are typically purchased soon after tickets on sale, which is generally around the first of each year. Unless you reserve these seats early, it is unlikely that you will be able to obtain premier seats in the grandstands or luxury suites. Some of the best seats include the higher section of Sections E, high sections of the Northwest Vista, and the VIP Suites.

Even if you decide to attend the race last minute, you can visit the official website and place an order to reserve your tickets. The seats may not be ideal, but you can always select best available for the amount of people in your group.

Online ticket brokers are another option. Several online ticket brokers sell Indianapolis 500 tickets, such as ticketcity.com. In many cases, ticket brokers charge a higher amount than the face value of the ticket, which is, of course, there way of making money.

Many premier ticket holders will sell their tickets on auction websites such as eBay, if they do not plan to attend the Indianapolis 500. Again, these individuals often sell the tickets higher, sometimes significantly higher than the face value. If you wait until a few days before the race, you may be able to purchase tickets at a reasonable rate, sometimes around face value. However, this method may be risky, as you may not receive your tickets in time. You would need to make sure that overnight shipping is guaranteed overnight shipping from the ticket seller.

If race day is closing in and you decide to make the trip to Indianapolis, you may call the facility's ticket office, as in some cases, they provide returned tickets even if the race is sold out.

General Admission may be a first or last option for Indianapolis 500 spectators. Many fans enjoy bring their lawn chairs and blanket to the tailgating atmosphere. However, the view may not be ideal.

If possible, it is advised to avoid scalpers, as they are notorious for dramatically raise the prices of tickets. Scalping is never condoned, but if you decide to purchase your Indianapolis 500 tickets from a scalper, wait until the race is about to begin, as they will often come down on their prices.

Resources: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Website, Indiana Racing